Paramount : No Raises in School Budget

The Paramount Unified School District board adopted a $37-million budget Tuesday night, an increase of nearly $2 million over last year’s budget. Board President Joseph M. Montoya III called the new budget for 1987-88 “very slightly better” than last year’s, but said he was still not happy with it.

The new budget does not include raises for teachers or non-teaching employees; contracts for both classifications are currently in negotiation. Montoya said district employees will have to “make do” with smaller raises than in past years. “In real dollars, they may be taking home less than before,” he said.

Montoya described the district as treading water, and added that recent gains in student test scores may be lost without sufficient additional funding to keep adding innovative programs.

“We used to hear board members apologize for the kids in the district,” he said. “They would explain that the students were transients, or were minorities. They don’t apologize any more. The students are now at the national average. But I’m afraid that without funding increases, they’re going to slip back--and it’s not the kids’ fault, and it’s not the teachers’ fault.”